Old Man Winter Takes The Stage

On my journey home this week, I ran into several road blocks...Accidents with 15 mile back-ups, NYC traffic was stalled in the Bronx, Pennsylvania Interstates were closed due to snowfall....But after making several personal detours to try and make up for lost time, I finally stumbled upon my reward.

This is a little video I made in New Jersey that day. Hope you enjoy!!

It seems just maybe that Old Man Winter was just a little bit jealous of my praising Mother Nature for her graceful beauty.

Freedom of Speech

This is one of the reasons that I love the United States..... Our many freedoms!!

So excuse me while I express an opinion, one that is very near and dear to my heart.

I have worked since the age of 16. I have experienced many pitfalls through my own decisions which were the result of poor judgement. I have provided for myself during the past 20 years with no help from any government programs... I have never tasted government cheese, or received hand-outs because I was "unable" to work. I don't get free food or decreased housing costs. And for those of you who don't know, I dropped out of high school my junior year (I returned a year later to receive my diploma). I also ran away from home at an early age and lived in some very undesirable neighborhoods. But I had the freedom to turn my life around, and not become a statistic.

Basically what I am getting at, it this. If I wanted it or needed it, I went out and earned it. This is a freedom that we Americans sometimes take for granted. We have assistance programs for our Veterans, our children, our disabled, our elderly, hell, we even have programs for our lazy citizens who refuse to get out and provide for themselves!

It makes me very angry that there should even be any consideration given whatsoever to providing everyone with equal health care. That is just the start! Spread the Wealth!! Bullshit!!

It makes me very angry to think that I could possibly go to work every week, only to end up supporting those less fortunate even more than I already do. If I can no longer "Get Ahead", then why should I even be motivated to try at all. If all my efforts will only result in equality for everyone, then maybe I should just quit my job and let you take care of me!

This is just my opinion!!

If we are all treated equally, then there is no purpose in trying to succeed. It seems that this would eventually eliminate the middle class and place us all on a level playing field. A more dependant, less motivated playing field. And where does that leave us. Standing in line waiting on government hand-outs? And if you think about it, we would have given up certain freedoms and liberties that our great nation was founded upon.

Please do not do this to me!! I have struggled over the past twenty years to get where I am, and I am not willing to let you take this from me. It is my freedom to go out and achieve that which I desire.

Call me ignorant or uninformed, but at least I am motivated and have the freedom to chose my level of success, at least for now! So get off your ass, and go take care of yourself. Think about the decisions you make, and please do not take my freedoms from me!!

Pre-Trip Inspection

I often fuss about tire pressure, or the lack thereof.

I often fuss about the fact that our air hose only produces 92-93 psi, so our tires cannot be properly inflated after hours.

I often fuss that trailers are not road ready when I go to pick them up on Saturday night.

I can't tell you how many times I have been assured that someone is doing a pre-trip on the trailers before they are loaded. Not to mention, the drivers are suppose to be writing up any repairs needed from the week before.

But if I mentioned all of that again, I would just be complaining.....

So, instead.......

Lucky for me, this was not my trailer.... This was found on my partners trailer, and the mechanic on call lives over an hour away. My trailer had 8 under inflated tires. But at least they were still attached to the rim!!

So much for those pre-trip inspections. And for any of you reading this who might be a Truck Driver, we have less than 20 drivers and 3 mechanics on site, so it is not too hard to recognize the slackers!!

Quick Updates

First things, first.....

As you know, I get the pleasure of delivering in New England almost every week. There are certain benefits that come with the territory. For instance, oh, about this time every year Mother Nature puts on her finest dress and struts her stuff. She is quite a show-off.I haven't noticed her looking quite this lovely in awhile. I missed capturing the peak of her fall foliage display this year. But, trust me, she was absolutely breath-taking. I still managed to capture some of her lingering charms and put together a little video for your viewing pleasure.

and now for the updates

Running~

• 2.34 miles in Bristol, Pa. Is it possible to get freezer burn on your ears? Time to buy winter gear.
• 2.13 miles in Glastonbury, Ct. Never could get warmed up. Legs were screaming in resentment.

Truck Repairs~

Would you be surprised if I told you that my Truck was not repaired? No big deal. I was told to swing back by my new favorite shop and let the day shift mechanic have a look at it to confirm the first diagnosis. When I got there, he had left for the day. It was only lunchtime, so I was surprised. But these things happen! Maybe next week!

Relaxation~

I had the time and opportunity to spend a weekend with my SIL and the kids a few weeks ago. My Brother was only present for a moment as he had other obligations to attend to. The highlight of the weekend was Karaoke Night! SIL's Mother came over and we all had such a wonderful time letting our hair hang down.

This weekend, I am attending a little gathering at the other Brother's house. I don't think I have been over there at all this year ?! So, it is long overdue.

The Big Move~

This weekends trip is also a great excuse to load up some of my unused items laying around the homestead, and put them into storage over in Bama. Storage being in my Father's attic. I find that I need a little incentive to get on the ball about transplanting myself back over that way. With the economy, the election, and the uncertain future that lies ahead, I have been a bit fearful of making any big decisions or drastic changes. So, I figure that if all my of belongings meandered over into Bama, I would begin to miss them and eventually follow them into a new life. Kind of silly, I know. But I do love my job! I just want more out of life, and it is not happening in my present location. I know everything will work out once I do make the big move, but I am very fearful of leaving my beloved New England route. I suppose it is just the fear of the unknown holding me back and Yes, there are trucking jobs all over the place. But my dedicated route has been very kind to me, and I don't want to get caught up in something less enjoyable. But it is like my Brother said to me, " You will ALWAYS be able to find a reason to NOT leave." Hmmmmm, you know, he has a point there!

So, I guess that should cover it. Hey, did you notice anything? It seems like perhaps, just maybe, my anger has subsided a little bit. Yay!! for me.

Running Rampant

Ha.... I decided to do a light hearted and carefree post after all this fussing I have been doing lately. I know I said I was going to try and reel that in, but honestly..... I don't fuss live and in person, so here is where I dump all of it..... Sorry folks, just kind of goes with the title.... ROADRAGE......

Anywho, if any of you ever look at my side bar, you might notice some running totals per each month along with a map. The map was to illustrate just exactly how far I would have it, should I attempt a virtual cross country run. What a joke!!

I have been such a slacker this year!

But, recently I had purchased a Garmin pedometer that uses GPS to record your mileage stats.

I love this thing, and because I also love numbers, I have been more motivated to get out and run. And because it uses GPS, I can run anywhere and get fairly accurate totals. No more recalibrating the old fashion pedometer that was based on stride length...no more cheating on distance totals either :)

So, in the past few weeks, I have run in Bridgeport, New Jersey; Hauppage, NewYork; Edison, New Jersey; and Glastonbury, Connecticut. I figure if Gabsatrucker can get out and run all over the place, well, then so can I...

You will also notice that I am almost back into the swing of things as my total for this month, already exceeds the previous months and this month is only halfway over..... Pathetic!!

Guilty By Association

I wanted to post this before I forgot about it, even though it happened a few weeks ago. This particular incident left me with my jaw sitting on the floor as I could not believe what I had just witnessed..... You may not be amazed or even interested, but if left me feeling ashamed and bewildered, so I have to share.

A few weeks ago, my normal routine was slightly disrupted when a third driver took a NorthEast route and decided to tag along with the myself and my regular NE Trucking Buddy.
May be disrupted is not the appropriate word. It did not change anything other than having an additional person to converse with while heading towards New England. But it was different, because there was a third party involved, one who tells tales and spreads rumors.

There was only one eventful moment on the whole trip, one moment that made me want to pull over and hang my head in shame. One moment that left me with questions.

I work with a small group of drivers. Same trucks, same trailers, same uniforms. I like to think I am a good driver, a good representative of the company I work with. You all know how much I love my customers and tend to go out of my way to make sure their needs are met. I would only hope the other drivers would do the same. But let's face it. They don't. Some of them couldn't care less. My regular NE running partner is another one of the good guys. When he services my route, no one ever complains about him. They think he is just fine and dandy, too. We have the same type ethics relating to this job. It is not just about driving. We are both friendly, efficient and take extra measures to meet their needs.

Well, on this little excursion with the third party involved, I learned something that I did not ever want to know, at least not so close to "home" so to speak.

While heading through Virginia, I noticed traffic was slowing and shifting to the left. There was a service truck, tow truck and disabled vehicle on the right shoulder about a half mile up the road. Because the the guard rails, they were almost in the right lane. I commented to my companions about the scene in front of me. I slowed and merged into the left lane. My regular com padre does the same. Traffic is now down to about 30 mph as everyone is adjusting to let all vehicles merge to the left. The people are actually walking in the right lane to get around the vehicles, so I was proud that everyone, even the four wheelers were being so tolerant of this sudden traffic situation.

At this point, the third party in attendance of our personal parade remarks over the airwaves, " What are you doing, there is no blue lights so we don't have to get over!" At this point, he goes flying by in the right lane. The last thing I had noticed was the tow trucker driver standing in the travel lane trying to load the disabled vehicle. My co-worker was very close to the white line when he passed me doing at least 60mph. I just knew he was going to hit them. Then he hollers out, " come on, what are you waiting for" He was the ONLY vehicle who made the pass in the right lane, not even the cars would follow him.

We are still behind the disabled vehicles and in the left lane, but I was not about to jump back in to the right lane. I was speechless. How could someone I work with be so stupid and careless. He could have killed that guy. And whatever happened to safety and courtesy. I was absolutely amazed when his final remark over the airwaves was how he finally got around me and my regular companion....

I sat in the left lane until traffic regained momentum, and remained speechless for quite some time.

The worst part for myself personally, is that while there were three of us that day. Only two of us had the same style trailer, the second fellow (my buddy) had a van. So, my tractor and trailer were identical to that of the driver who had made the bad decision. You would not believe how many people gave me dirty looks and the comments that were made over the CB radio.

I work so hard to do a good job, and there I sat, guilty by association, hanging my head in shame.

And this guy has over 30 years experience.........*sigh*

Where was that guy with the video camera when a REAL unsafe manuever was being made.Probably editing more footage of me! Yes, I am still mad about that!!

A Tear

Throughout my driving career, I have had my fair share of incidences that have made me laugh. Things that have angered me or left me feeling frustrated. Even a few that have made me cry.

I don't cry often. I can't even remember the last time I cried, but that was probably over a lost love anyway.

Yesterday, I shed a tear! Not boo hooing in the essence of snot dripping down my face. Not sobbing and gasping for air. Just a single tear!

The most difficult and challenging part of my job is to convince a mechanic that I just might possibly know a little something about my Truck. I may not know how to fix it, or what part needs to be replaced, but I can definitely tell when something is wrong. And when it comes to diagnosing a problem, who better to turn to than the driver who is experiencing the symptoms.

I have written up repairs in the past, that go unresolved for weeks and or months at a time. Just recently, I turned in a write up and after 3 weeks, it was still untouched. I took the time to drive to the shop during work hours and approached the mechanic.

"We never saw the request"

They are placed in one location (after hours) and the shop had all my other pre-trip inspections, but did not see the repair request? " So, will you fix it today, seeing as how you have my truck in the bay doing a service to it, or should I write it up again?"

"We will get it today, don't write it up again!"

Two days later, still no repair....So, I have come to the conclusion that all of my repairs will be done elsewhere. I will drive out of route, I will burn up my own personal time. I will never request another repair from this shop. This isn't the first time they have dismissed my needs. It is not even the tenth time. They are not a full service shop, just a small repair and minor service shop, but my needs always seem to be forgotten anyway. I mean who actually needs tires that will hold air when you can just stop every week and refill them. I would air them up at the shop, but the air hose mounted outside for after hours use only produces 90psi, which is not the standard air pressure required on a big truck. I have asked them to fix the air hose for seven years.... Still not working properly.

But this rant is not about the incompetent mechanics who are seen huddled in the shop office every time I come to the yard. I have rarely caught them at work. Okay, there is one who is regularly working on something, but the others....not so much. I think they just roll around the floor to get their uniforms dirty, to make people think they are working.

.................I am complaining, aren't I???

Yes, I am , dammit!! To give these guys an ounce of credit, they do repair the trailers....I think?

So, back to my tear......

I have suddenly developed suspension problems with my truck. I have had the exact same problem before with another truck, this year. It only took me about 3 months of consistent nagging to get the mechanics to replace the defective part, and then I think the only reason they did it was to get me to shut up, because they could not find anything wrong with the old part. But it did fix the problem.

So, after two weeks of bouncing down the highways, I decided to approach another shop about my dilemma, remembering how difficult it was to convince the first group. I pulled in the alternate location and proceeded to tell the mechanic what the symptoms were... After staring at me for 10 minutes like I had three boobs, or green slime running out of my ears, he proceeds to try to come up with a way to appease me.

" Well, honey, we could always adjust the air-ride on your sleeper and then you wouldn't bounce so much."

This is not a predicament concerning my comfort! Jackass, and I have been driving longer than you have been mechanic-ing, so spare me the pitiful looks. I am not some sweet little honey learning to drive a big rig!! The air-ride on the sleeper only affects the way my cab sits on frame, it has nothing to do with my suspension........Try Again!!

Here are my symptoms...When I pick up a loaded trailer, my suspension does not react to the weight of the load. The air bags do not fill up for at least ten minutes. When they do fill, they lose pressure as soon as I start moving. Okay, this is hard to explain to you, faithful reader, if you know nothing about air-ride truck suspension. ....

But they should hold about 50-56 psi with my loaded trailer attached, of course this varies with the weight of the load, but my loads are consistently between 35 and 40k. My air bags will fill to 50 psi, but as soon as I start moving, they drop to around 30 psi. What that means is, my suspension is now in a bind. The U-joints are now put under higher tension because of the lowered suspension. During the course of my drive, they will fluctuate as much as 15 pounds continually. They should never fluctuate more than 2-3 pounds unless weight is actually removed. YES, this makes for a very uncomfortable ride as every pot hole or dip in the road sends me swaying and bouncing with exaggerated movement. But forget my comfort, this is a safety issue. It is unnecessary wear and tear on the drive line. I do not want to be the person sitting on the side of the road because my drive shaft is dangling. It is having to be even more aware of road conditions, because one hard bounce at the wrong time could send me into a wall, or median or another vehicle. I do not feel like killing anyone, because I hit a pot hole and my 70,000 pound truck could not recover from being thrown at an odd angle. The air bags ensure that the load will ride level. Not mine!!

So after he suggests a useless resolution, I simply make the comment, "Never mind" and drive away. I had just wasted ten minutes trying to convince someone of a safety issue and he never heard a word of what I was saying. I shed a tear of frustration because this is not the first alternate shop who has treated me this way.

I shed two tears.

I then proceeded to another shop a hundred miles away, because this had to be fixed. When I approached this mechanic, I pleaded with him to listen to me as a driver, not as a female. He did! I had only uttered about 3 sentences when he diagnosed the repairs that were needed. he then asked a few questions, which I answered, and we were in business. The bad part is that the parts have to be ordered as they were not in stock. So hopefully, my truck will be fixed next week when the parts arrive, but we have still not decided which shop will do the repairs, as this one has limited resources and time.

At least someone paid attention. Now lets just hope that the person who actually fixes it doesn't know the driver is a female, because that could just lead to even more frustration for me.

Sometimes I do actually know what I am talking about, but it is damn near impossible to convince others of this.

How Did He Know?

People assume a lot of things when it comes to Truck drivers. Most of it is of a negative nature, but this is something that doesn't normally affect me.

I have also met many people who are truly grateful for what drivers do and go through with this industry. In fact, it is not only the small children in the backs of cars who want you to blow the horn. I have also encountered many others who will blow their horns and wave with glee when they see little ol me sitting up in that seat, driving my life away. People of all ages and social classes. My favorite is the the grandmotherly type who will point and wave and smile, yanking on her husbands sleeve until he notices me too. They give the biggest smiles and the friendliest waves.

Last night, on my way home, I encountered a vehicle with someone in it who made an assumption that drives me crazy.

On the final stretch of interstate on the home bound journey, there is a construction zone that places the Truckers in the two LEFT lanes. I am cruising in the middle lane with not a care in the world as I start to gain on the car in front of me. I move to the left to make the pass, assuming nothing out of the ordinary. I have 5 miles until my exit. Plenty of time to complete my task. Once I get halfway around the car, they speed up. We ride like this for about 2 miles. Thinking they will slow down, I remain in the left lane, intending to complete the pass, because this car has been unable to maintain a constant speed from the moment I first noticed it several miles back.

Nearing the sign indicating that my exit is looming just a few miles ahead, I turn my blinker on. I assumed that they would do one of two things. 1. Accelerate to give me room behind them or 2. Brake to let me in front of them.

They did neither. With only 2 miles left to go, I begin to slow down in order to fall in behind them, so I can move to the far right lane. At this point there is another Truck now in the middle lane behind the car. I tell the Trucker my intentions and he slows dramatically to allow me room to make my move. The car also slows to match my speed. I brake even harder, and with my blinker still clicking away, so does the car. The Big Truck has given me plenty of room, so I brake even harder and fall in behind the car.

At this point, he slams on his brakes. NOT ONCE, but Twice. This action quickly eliminated any comfort zone I had left for myself while merging in behind him. Thankfully, there had been no vehicles in the far right lane, as I had to quickly dive to the right to avoid hitting the car. I just narrowly missed a collision.

The car then slows down, so he is right beside my cab. Horn blaring and gesturing wildly, he tells me that I am number one, in a not so pleasant manner. I slow even more to let him move on, now running about 20 mph under the speed limit. The other Truck driver moves to the far left to avoid all of this and passes both the car and myself. He then merges back into the right lane, needing to make the exit himself. At this point, the car speeds up and passes both Trucks and gets in the right lane. He then proceeds to slow us down to a crawling 10 miles per hour down the exit ramp, which is rated at 45 and is almost a quarter mile long. He sits at the light and the rest of us turn right.

It is over.

How did this guy know, that I would do everything I could to keep from hitting him. How did he know that I would not just slam into the back of him while he was braking with such frenzy out on the interstate. Why would he assume that I would be able to avoid him. Had I been loaded, we would have needed paramedics to pull him from the wreckage or a crane to upright my truck and trailer.

I am not sure if he thought I was trying to intimidate him, by trying to pass, or signaling a lane change, but if he had been able to maintain a steady speed, I would have just rode behind him. If he had been in the Restricted Truck Lane, this would have never even been an issue. Was he just stupid? Maybe just easily intimidated by 18 wheelers? Did he has a deathwish?

I will never know, but I wish idiots in cars would leave the big trucks alone! We have the capacity (with our size, weight and momentum) to cause death and destruction in mere seconds, and we cannot always react as quickly as you think we should. This guy made an assumption and as a professional Truck Driver, it is my responsibility to make sure he was safe while in my vicinity. I did my job.

I can't wait to see the video....... *sigh*

I Just Don't Understand...

why some people just choose to be angry all the time. Angry about every little thing....

I personally don't let much affect me in a negative way. We all fuss at some point, and I do my share, I suppose. Ask my dispatch, they think I am always griping about something...Better check myself, because I don't feel like I am. And the things they think I am fussing about, are tiny little issues that I make snarky comments about. I am not happy about coming off this way to them. But I question how much of this is really me being whiny, because a few of the topics are seen in the reverse of what I would have said....

Take for instance, this week's routing.. It is mixed up in such a way, that I will do good to be unloaded by Wednesday. I had a frustrated look on my face and was asked what was wrong....

"This is all backwards, why would you do this?"

I was told that this is the way I had previously requested it, so they were trying to accommodate me. ??? Now I am confused. The person who regularly routes my trip has fallen into a pattern that works perfectly, unless an unusual delivery is added. Such as throwing a NJ delivery in the middle of my NYC drops.... Otherwise, it is a perfect route...It was changed this week, for my benefit. But it will add much more time and some miles to complete it this way. So it is definitely not benefiting me. The route planner (this week) swears that I requested this.

I think I would know....But, maybe I am becoming forgetful? I don't think I would deliberately request to sabotage my own load. And the Loading Supervisor agreed with me, that this route should not have been planned this way. Hopefully, I can work around it and delivery it in the manner I am accustomed too, but since the freight is loaded backwards, that could be a huge obstacle for me....

They felt like I was complaining about nothing and I would be home as always, by Wednesday night. I hope so!!

But I digress.....

My intended topic featured the antics of Mr. T. He occasionally chooses a NorthEastern run, which results in my preferred route being taken away from me. He was "banned" from running Florida a while back for causing a major scene with some of our Sunshine State Customers.

Now, he has done it again. But this time it does benefit me. He caused a scene at one of our PA customers and will not be going back. That means my run is safe, unless he decides to head into NYC, which is unlikely.

At the beginning of the week, I meet him at the plant and had noticed that the pick-ups he was supposed to make had been added to my route, instead of his. So, I casually mentioned that he might want to make sure he had long pants with him, as he might be sent into Ravenswood to pick up, because I had his pick ups on my load. This was a slight jab at him, but I meant nothing by it. A few weeks ago, he was sent into Ravenswood for a pick-up. He was wearing shorts! Strictly against policy at this customer. He was told he couldn't load until he changed his clothing. He requested that OUR company be responsible for purchasing him some jeans, since it was a customer demand.....How Stupid!! Of course he was denied the reimbursement, and he magically found some long pants in his truck...This has been policy for years and he knew it before he ever went in there.......

So, I jabbed.....He then starts ranting and raving about unfair policies and practices and just kicks up a bunch of dust about nothing at all.

BUT, he then tells dispatch that I am angry about the pick-ups. I am not sure to what degree he elevated my anger in his portrayal to them, but supposedly I was absolutely livid.

The pick-ups did not bother me at all....I gained a few miles, some stop pay, and didn't have to wait. Why would I complain about that?

I just don't understand why he is sooooo angry. But then to look at the beginning of this post, I guess I could come off that way too.

Yeah, I think I better check myself. I thought I was making suggestive comments, but could it really be perceived as anger and bitching.................. The guys in the office make me feel that way.

I think from now on, I will keep all comments to myself. ALL COMMENTS.....because the ones I thought were harmless, apparently are not.

At Least I Got Paid

This week, after finishing my delivery route, I was offered the opportunity to make some quick easy extra income...

The objective was to supply a new account with plenty of empty trailers. My goal was to move as many trailers as I could from Duncan, South Carolina to Greenville, Tennessee.

So, for two days, I shuttled empty trailers north, and bob tailed back south.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as the route carried me through the mountains, and I love the mountains, especially with no loaded trailers.

The route paid 140 miles in each direction, but the first trip took nearly 190. Remember, it is through the mountains. Lots of restricted roads!!! I had asked several people the best way to get there, resulting in the longer route. I stumbled upon a shorter route and was thrilled with the drive. I love a good skinny scenic route. I was told of yet another route, but it was restricted. Not sure what the restriction was for, I opted for the second route.

After spending 2 days moving trailers, I was wore out. When I finally dropped my last trailer, I meet up with three company drivers who were picking up the trailers I had just dropped and taking them......




back south, to a location that was only 100 miles from where I picked them up.

WHAT??

Oh well, at least I got paid for my endeavors.... and I great some great video footage that I will post shortly.

The drivers who picked up my trailers where headed back south on the restricted route, so I decided to follow them. I was bobtail, after all, so I was no longer apprehensive about running this road. Surely, if they are pulling trailers along this route, I am legal to drive it too.

We did find out what the restriction was.....Nothing longer then 60 foot. Glad I didn't attempt it with a trailer, but it was such a fun road...Kiss your arse curves through the mountains....

*sigh*

I want to live in the mountains......

Truckers Gone Wild

A few months ago, it happened. I was caught on tape.. Video Tape.

Driving my Big Rig.

My Boss calls to tell me that he has received a video of me driving down Mont Eagle at excessive speeds in an offensive manner.

What me???? Are you sure? Actually, when he told me about this, I knew exactly what incident he was referring too!. I remembered it with crystal clear perception, or so I thought.

He told me I was filmed at a rate of 70+ mph .... That is LUDICROUS....

Anyone who knows this area will tell you that if you flew down this mountain, you would most assuredly lose your driving privileges and be placed underneath the jail. It just isn't done. Law enforcement pays particularly close attention to this stretch of interstate with its lower speed limits, and high volume of accidents. It is a 6% descent. not bad. It is a 55 mph zone for autos, and a 45, 35, 25 mph zone for Trucks depending on the weight of the load. It has, I believe, 3 runaway truck ramps.

But before I get ahead of my self...here is my recollection of the event.

I was pulling an empty trailer across Mont Eagle. There was a loaded flat bedder following me. As we approached the descent, there were slower moving vehicles I was trying to get around because the lanes are restricted on the downhill swing. I was speeding..I will admit that! I was trying to adhere to the 55 speed limit, because I was empty. And YES, the posted speed limit for Trucks is 45mph.... There was a SUV that kept hovering near my trailer. He was in the way, almost the whole way down the hill.

The Boss told me I WAS CAUGHT ON TAPE IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.

I defend my innocence.. I believe he had his speedometer re calibrated to show an increase in speed. The Boss said I was wrong, it was on tape and he invited me to view it.

So, that it was I did today.

What I saw is as follows...

At the beginning of the video, the guy shows his speedometer near 75 mph on top of the mountain... He is a quarter mile behind me, racing to catch up.... My speed was not 75......I was not racing to catch anyone.....So, it was not I who was speeding in a 55 zone.

Next we see me in the left lane, passing slower heavier trucks before the descent. He shows me to be doing about 60....I will agree with that. I was trying to get ahead of the slower vehicles because the lane restriction was looming just ahead, and I was required to be in one of the two right lanes....Yes, I was speeding, but not 75 mph......My truck is governed at 68 and could not do 75 on flat land...

We start down the hill, and you can very clearly see other Big Trucks pulling away from me...If I was doing 75, then those other Trucks were in excess of 80..... WRONG....He finally shows me running at about 57-60 mph...I will agree to that.

He also comments on how I had to slow down for the Police Officers, because I knew I was speeding.. I was actually not concerned about the Police Officers pulling me over. Because I am a shameless Daredevil, hell bent on reeking havoc on the roadways in an excessively fast and destructive manner... NO, I was not concerned about them because I was not doing 75 like some people seem to think. I was concerned about the SUV who was hovering at my trailer and constantly in the way. So, I did accelerate and brake in several attempts to get away from him.

All the while, other vehicles are continuing to descend the mountain at a quicker speed than myself.....

Finally, we reach the bottom of the decline, and as a general rule.....When you see the elevated speed limit sign, you "let it roll" Most Truckers would agree. No need to hold it back any longer, the speed limit is about to increase. The newly increased speed limit is 70............

So, he films me making the final descent and this time he does record me doing in excess of 70.....(about 73).In plain view of the increased speed limit sign, but he makes a snarky comment about how the limit has not increased just yet, and I am clearly out of my mind....Okay, I ad libbed that part, but he does point out the sign.....What he doesn't show you is the broken down big truck on the shoulder of the road, or my desire to get into the left lane to give this disabled vehicle plenty of room for safety's sake. BUT... there is an SUV hovering at my trailer who will not get out of the way to let me over...Plus there is another Big Rig behind me who is loaded and the last thing I want to do is make him slow down after heating up his brakes for the past 7 miles...Wrong time to be brake-checking a Big Truck. SO, YES..... I let it roll......in an attempt to get around the SUV, to clear up room for the disabled vehicle.....at the bottom of the Mont..

But I am wrong....on so many levels....I am wrong....

I will defend my innocence until the grave....I was not flying down the mountain....It is clear in my mind, and ON VIDEO.....

It just infuriates me..........The asshole filming me was putting traffic at a higher elevated risk of danger by blocking the flow of traffic and hovering beside me. I was targeted and it clearly shows me that you can be incriminated for just about anything, as long as you present it in a certain way....

So forget all the obvious signs that this was overly exaggerated to show my reckless behavior....yeah, those other vehicles driving off ahead and leaving me in the dust were just a figment of my imagination, even though they were on film....And forget about me trying to give a disabled vehicle a little extra room, but could not because some guy in an SUV had to hover in order to get good video footage of me.....

In fact, the only thing you need to remember is that I am one crazy lunatic truck driver with a reckless streak a mile wide and I will run you over for the sheer entertainment value of it.

Bite Me JackAss.......

The Man of My Dreams.....

While traveling eastbound along I-40, through what is simply known as The Gorge to us Easterners, the following conversation took place.

"Watch out, there are a bunch of peanuts in the road......"

Me: Did you say Peanuts?

At this point another unfamiliar voice boomed out over the airwaves.....

PEANUT BUTTER

Me: Jelly

and in response

I GOT NOTHING

Me: What do you mean, you got nothing?

The unfamiliar voice then went on to state that he believed I was indeed his soul mate. He knew from my one word response Jelly, that I was the perfect mix of trucker, female and clown all wrapped up in one nice tiny package.

But then, the fantasy was shattered, as another driver remarked, " It would never work!! You (the unfamiliar voice) are headed west and she (me) is going east. There is no place to turn around for 30 miles....It just isn't meant to be"

Sadly, we both continued our predetermined directions, and faded out of site.....

I was so close to meeting the man of my dreams........soooo close.



Peanut... PeanutButter... Jelly.... Did you get the reference? Not to be confused with Peanut Butter Jelly Time..... Just so you know.


I am still unsure as to why we were supposed to fear the peanuts laying in the road, which I never saw......



The Gorge is a stretch of Interstate 40 running through western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. It is nestled in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest and is part of the mountainous area known as the "eastern Grand Canyon". I have never called it the Eastern Grand Canyon, that is just what the interwebs tell me.......But I do have a video or two....

Stay Tuned.